Part 4/9:
The pursuit of residency was fraught with challenges. After arriving in Portugal in April 2024, it became evident that the immigration system was overwhelmed. With up to 400,000 pending applications at one point, it was a testament to the slow and oftentimes inefficient nature of processing resident requests. Lengthy delays became the norm, generating anxiety and uncertainty about their future. It took nearly 11 months for the individual to receive the long-awaited ID card, a process filled with anticipation and frustration.